Admittedly: College Admissions with Thomas Caleel

To speak with an advisor and map out your student's next steps, book a Complimentary Strategy Call at admittedly.co/apply . Are expensive summer programs and paid research opportunities actually helping students get into selective colleges? Or are families spending thousands of dollars on activities that do little to strengthen an application? In this episode of the Admittedly Podcast, Thomas Cale...

To speak with an advisor and map out your student's next steps, book a Complimentary Strategy Call at admittedly.co/apply. SAT or ACT? Does the PSAT matter? When should your student start preparing? Should they submit their scores to test-optional colleges? And what does a competitive score actually look like for Ivy League and other highly selective universities? In this episode of the Admittedly...

To speak with an advisor and map out your student's next steps, book a Complimentary Strategy Call at admittedly.co/apply . Should you apply Early Decision, Early Action, or wait until Regular Decision? With early application deadlines approaching, the decision is about more than getting your application in first. It's about understanding where you have the strongest opportunity, what you're commi...

To speak with an advisor and map out your student's next steps, book a Complimentary Strategy Call at https://info.admittedly.co/path-to-admissions   Your child may be bright, hardworking, involved, and genuinely impressive. But does that make them competitive at the most selective colleges? In this episode of the Admittedly Podcast, Thomas Caleel has a candid conversation with parents about one o...

To speak with an advisor and map out your student's next steps, book a Complimentary Strategy Call at info.admittedly.co/path-to-admissions. In this episode of the Admittedly Podcast, Thomas Caleel examines the rise of alternative education paths, from tech and startup programs to AI-driven schools and direct-to-work opportunities. As students are increasingly told that a traditional four-year deg...

In this episode of The Admittedly Podcast, Thomas Caleel sits down with Sarah Bernbach, Associate Director of Advantage Testing's New York offices, to explore what more than two decades of tutoring has taught her about how students learn, build confidence, and find their voice. Drawing on 22 years of experience (and her own unconventional path as a pastry chef, bookbinder, writer, and costume desi...

🎓 Need help building your academic and college admissions strategy? Learn more about Admittedly and how our team of former Ivy+ admissions officers helps students make strategic decisions Course selection is one of the most important—and often overlooked—parts of building a competitive college application. The classes you choose don't just determine your GPA; they show admissions officers how you...

🎓 Want help building a thoughtful high school and college admissions strategy? Learn more about Admittedly and how our team of former Ivy+ admissions officers helps students and families plan academics, extracurriculars, summers, testing, college lists, applications, and more. Freshman year isn't about building the perfect college application. It's about building the habits, academic foundation,...

Get Expert Feedback on Your College Essay Not sure if your essay is ready to submit? Admittedly's Essay Review Service gives students direct, strategic feedback on their essays from experts who understand how admissions officers actually evaluate an application. Our team can help identify what's working, what's missing, and where your essay could be stronger— without rewriting it for you or replac...

🎓 Want help building the right admissions strategy? Learn more about Admittedly and how our team of former Ivy+ admissions officers helps students make strategic decisions around course selection, extracurriculars, testing, college lists, applications, and more. - A strong GPA only tells part of the story. In highly selective college admissions, admissions officers are also looking closely at  ho...

In this episode of The Admittedly Podcast , Thomas Caleel is joined by Sonam Aidasani, Director of Product & Strategy at Admittedly and former Duke admissions officer , to break down one of the most misunderstood areas of college admissions: transferring. Is transferring actually an easier way into a highly selective college? What makes a compelling reason to transfer? And if you're already thinki...

To speak with an advisor and learn more about Admittedly's Middle School Program, book a Complimentary Strategy Call: https://admittedly.co/middle-school/ Parents often think college admissions starts in high school. In reality, many of the habits, skills, and decisions that shape a student's future begin much earlier. In this episode, Thomas Caleel explains why middle school isn't about building...

To speak with an advisor and build a smarter college admissions strategy, book a Complimentary Strategy Call at: 👉 https://admittedly.co/path-to-admissions/   In this episode of The Admittedly Podcast, Thomas Caleel is joined by internationally recognized storytelling expert, podcaster, author, and keynote speaker Gabrielle Dolan to discuss why authentic storytelling matters more than ever in the...

To speak with an advisor and build a smarter college admissions strategy, book a Complimentary Strategy Call at: 👉 apply.admittedly.co The Common Application is more than a collection of forms and essays; it's a strategic opportunity to tell a cohesive story about who you are and why you belong at your target colleges. In this episode of The Admittedly Podcast, Thomas Caleel introduces the Admitt...

In this episode of The Admittedly Podcast, Thomas Caleel sits down with Charles Loxton, Chief Communications Officer at Advantage Testing and an experienced application consultant, to explore one of the most misunderstood parts of the admissions process: the college essay. Drawing on decades of experience helping students develop their personal narratives, Charles explains why essays matter, how s...

To speak with an advisor and build a smarter college admissions strategy, book a Complimentary Strategy Call at: 👉  https://admittedly.co/path-to-admissions-organic/ In this episode of The Admittedly Podcast, Thomas Caleel speaks directly to rising seniors and their families about one of the most important periods in the college admissions process: the summer before senior year. After years of ha...

To speak with an advisor and build a smarter college admissions strategy, book a Complimentary Strategy Call at: 👉 https://admittedly.co/path-to-admissions/ College application essays are one of the biggest opportunities students have to differentiate themselves in competitive admissions. In this episode of the Admittedly Podcast, Thomas Caleel breaks down what admissions officers are actually lo...

To speak with an advisor and build a smarter college admissions strategy, book a Complimentary Strategy Call at: 👉 admittedly.co/path-to-admissions/ In this episode of the Admittedly Podcast, Thomas Caleel answers a question we see a lot in our comments: "Why should families trust undergraduate admissions advice from a former Director of MBA Admissions at Wharton?". He shares the story behind his...

To speak with an advisor and build a smarter college admissions strategy, book a Complimentary Strategy Call at: 👉 h ttps://admittedly.co/path-to-admissions/?utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=organic-social&utm_campaign=&utm_contentid= In this episode of the Admittedly Podcast, Thomas Caleel breaks down one of the most misunderstood trends in modern college admissions: passion projects. From studen...

To speak with an advisor and map out your student's next steps, book a Complimentary Strategy Call at: 👉 apply.admittedly.co In this episode of the Admittedly Podcast, Thomas Caleel breaks down why it feels like leadership titles are losing value in modern, holistic college admissions and what admissions officers are actually looking for when it comes to extracurricular involvement. For years, st...

To speak with an advisor and map out your student's next steps, book a Complimentary Strategy Call at admittedly.co/apply. In this episode of the Admittedly Podcast, Thomas Caleel breaks down one of the most misunderstood parts of college admissions: extracurricular activities. Families often believe there is a "perfect list" of activities that guarantees admission to selective colleges. In realit...

To speak with an advisor and map out your student's next steps, book a Complimentary Strategy Call at admittedly.co/apply. In this episode of the Admittedly Podcast, Thomas Caleel speaks with Mike McLeod, founder of GrowNOW ADHD, about the real factor that determines whether students thrive in college: executive functioning skills. Strong grades and test scores can help students gain admission, bu...

To speak with an advisor and map out your student's next steps, book a Complimentary Strategy Call at admittedly.co/apply. In this episode of the Admittedly Podcast, Thomas Caleel tackles a question many students quietly worry about: What if I didn't take high school seriously early on and now I'm behind? Whether it's limited access to AP or honors courses, a lighter course load freshman and sopho...

To speak with an advisor and map out your student's next steps, book a Complimentary Strategy Call at admittedly.co/apply . In this episode of the Admittedly Podcast , Thomas shares real stories from students he has worked with who reached their dream schools... sometimes in ways that surprised even them. These stories include a student who pivoted away from STEM pressure to pursue a passion for l...

To speak with an advisor and map out your student's next steps, book a Complimentary Strategy Call at admittedly.co/apply. In this episode of the Admittedly Podcast , Thomas sits down with Admittedly's Interim Director of College Counseling and former Senior Admissions Officer at Duke University, Sonam, for a candid look inside how highly selective admissions offices actually evaluate applications...